


Unexpected Results

by kinneyb



Series: giving back [1]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Fairies, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-28 19:19:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19400695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: prompt: AU where Q is a cute lil fairy (w/wings & tiny enough to sit on El's shoulder) that El rescued from those crappy magicians? & Eliot is a chef who uses his magic to cook? I just want a fluffy scene where Q flits around El's kitchen helping him cook & mending his favorite teacups





	Unexpected Results

**Author's Note:**

> ★ please follow me on twitter @ queermight & check out my pinned tweet! ★
> 
> The first prompt of (hopefully) many! Please feel free to follow me on twitter & request anything.

When Eliot originally saved the little fairy, he thought he’d want to go off on his own once he was fully healed and well rested. Margo did too. They watched over him for a few days, healing him and letting him generally rest until finally he was healthy again, bouncing and flying around like he was never a victim of some shitty, self-entitled magicians at all.

“Your name is Q?” Eliot had asked, furrowing his brows. “ _Just_ Q?”

Q had hummed, fluttering back and forth in the air. “They called me Q,” he corrected. “Before that, my name was Quentin. They just didn’t wanna be bothered.”

“Okay, but Q isn’t, like, triggering for you?” 

He quickly settled in the palm of Eliot’s hand. “No,” he had answered, smoothing his wings down. “You can call me Q if that’s what you’re asking,” he continued with a sparkle in his eyes.

++

“You’re a chef?” Q asked, landing on the counter and watching Eliot as he worked, flipping on the oven and grabbing a few pans from a rack. “But... you’re a magician,” he added, blinking.

Eliot peered over him as he stirred the onions around. “Magicians can have real jobs too,” he replied, voice dripping with amusement.

“I - “ Q wrinkled his nose. “Fair enough.” He shuffled closer. “Do you need help?”

Eliot blinked at him. “You _want_ to help?” 

Q seemed to consider the question for a moment. “Yes,” he decided finally, nodding curtly. “I’d like to help, please.”

“Okay,” Eliot replied, smiling lightly. “Can you grab me some stuff?”

Q was in the air in seconds, wings flapping. “Yes, sir!” he answered, doing a salute. Eliot just laughed.

After giving him a list of the ingredients, Q flew around the room and gathered them. Some stuff was kind of big, but he managed okay using his own magic. He was placing the final item on the counter when he noticed Eliot performing a few tuts. He watched, interested, as a few onions lifted themselves upright and were chopped by a floating knife.

He glanced at Eliot, who reached over and patted his head gently. “The pros of being a magician _and_ a chef,” he said, winking.

++

Q ended up basically moving in with Eliot and Margo - becoming a third, much smaller roommate. He also ended up joining Eliot in most of his cooking adventures, helping him gather ingredients and taste test the food, which was always amazing. 

“You’re so good at this,” he commented, wings flapping happily.

Eliot grinned, shrugging. “It’s fun to do.”

Q smelled the air. “But... it smells _different_ today.”

“Oh.” Eliot looked away and cleared his throat. “Do you know what today is?”

Q tilted his head thoughtfully, dropping to the counter. “No?”

Glancing back, Eliot smiled almost sheepishly. “It’s been a year since we rescued you... so I thought I’d bake a cake in celebration.” He stirred the batter. “I asked you what your favorite flavor was, remember?”

Q gasped. “That’s why you were asking!” Flying up in the air, he swatted at Eliot’s hand playfully. “You told me it was - “ Before he could finish the thought, a bit of batter splashed up and landed on his wings. He gasped again, falling into the bowl with an _oof_.

“Jesus, Q!” Eliot chided, scooping him out and holding him in his palm as he searched for a napkin. “You need to be more careful,” he continued after a moment with a grin. “Even if that _was_ kind of funny.”

Q pouted up at him, crossing his arms. “It was _not_.”

“Kind of was,” Eliot replied breezily, grinning wider as he cleaned off Q’s wings.

++

When Q entered the kitchen a few days later, he could tell something was off with Eliot. He wasn’t using magic, for one - he was cooking the old fashion way. Secondly, he wasn’t as cheerful or talkative as usual.

Frowning, Q landed on the counter and sat down, crossing his legs. “Did something happen, El?” he asked, using the nickname he had picked up from Margo.

Eliot smiled tightly, shrugging. “It’s stupid.”

“I don’t think so,” Q replied, frowning deeper. “If it makes you upset, it’s not stupid.”

Eliot’s smile softened a bit and he gestured to the counter to his other side. Q stood up and flew to the other counter, dropping to his feet softly. On the counter are pieces of a broken porcelain teacup.

“ _Oh_.” Q was admittedly a little surprised that a tiny teacup could make Eliot - funny, sarcastic Eliot - so upset. 

Eliot sighed and put his hands on the counter, leaning on it. “I... I’ve never told anyone about my life before... magic,” he muttered. “And I don’t want to bore you with the details,” he playfully tugged on Q’s wing, who laughed and swatted his hand away, “but... just know it wasn’t _good_.”

Q nodded, circling the broken teacup as he talked.

“My, uh... my parents weren’t the best, but. My dad the worst,” Eliot cleared his throat and picked up one of the pieces. “When I left home, I was basically running away. I grabbed this and stuffed it in my bag. It was a win/win situation.” He smiled slightly. “It was something to help me remember them, and it was part of my mom’s favorite set, so. She’s probably _still_ pissed it’s missing.”

Q nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Let me help then.”

Eliot blinked, taking his eyes off the broken teacup and peering at Q. “I - you don’t have to.” He shook his head. “I know I can probably fix it. I just need to remember the tuts for - “

Q lifted himself into the air, floating above the teacup, and placed his hands over it. Eliot cut himself off, watching curiously. Closing his eyes, Q wiggled his fingers, glitter - _literal_ glitter, Eliot thought with a snort - falling from his fingertips.

The pieces started to float - the one from Eliot’s hand flew to join the others. Within seconds, it was mended back together. Q dropped back to the counter and shook his wings. 

“Whew,” he said, laughing lightly. “I haven’t done that in a while.”

Eliot reached out and picked up the teacup, biting his lip. He studied it for a moment before looking down at Q, smiling softly. “Thanks, Q.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Q said, smiling back, wings flapping happily.


End file.
